By Mark Baber
June 11 – SAP, the leading business software provider, has extended its long-standing partnership with TSG Hoffenheim, becoming the new main and kit sponsor, in an initial three year deal.
SAP will be the main kit sponsor as well as having a presence on the LED advertising boards in the WIRSOL Rhein-Neckar-Arena, and also receive a marketing package including big-screen, print and online advertising, as well as a hospitality package.
SAP’s founder Dietmar Hopp, who played for the club in his youth, was the driving force behind the village team of Hoffenheim (pop. 3,272) rising from the fifth flight of German football to the Bundesliga as well as the financing of the Rhein-Neckar-Arena.
On the new deal, Michael Kleinemeier, regional president MEE (Middle & Eastern Europe), SAP said “We have been alongside TSG as a technology partner throughout their impressive development from the lower leagues to the pinnacle of German football. We’re delighted to be able to continue building this partnership. Alongside the current solutions provided by SAP, we will be giving the players and fans a new perspective: we will develop a mobile app that will allow the fans to feel even closer to TSG and we will be giving the players a chance to improve their performance by assessing training using our SAP HANA technology.”
Jochen A. Rotthaus, head of sales and marketing at TSG said: “With our strong partner SAP as our new main and jersey sponsor, we have taken a huge step forward into a new era of promoting our club. Though a global player, SAP remains deeply rooted in the region and this philosophy fits perfectly with the values of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. SAP is a long-standing partner and we have used the company’s software intensively in our organization for many years. We are very excited and proud to take our partnership to the next level.”
The technical collaboration between SAP and Hoffenheim has seen the club use SAP for financial accounting, merchandising and e-commerce and a player database management. SAP now has plans to collaborate with Fraunhofer IIS in analysing player performance via sensors during football training.
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